Eternity
by Ginga no Yousei
Summary: The Queen La Andromeda Promethium had a secret to be kept. A secret Daughter in fact. The young woman's destiny ties in with so many others. Now she must keep to her promises and protect those she loves...and find the one she loves dearly.
1. Chapter 1

I know the drill. I don't own GE99, Galaxy Railways, Uchuu Senkan Yamato, or Captain Harlock, or anything in the Leijiverse.

I only own Eumeleia, The Vijon, myself (yeah I'm Sarah XP ), The cyborgs working on the ship, Ryuu, Yin, Kathy, or any future OCs.

This is my first story on FF so no flames...if I see one negative comment i'll report you on harassment. -.-; I only take positive constructive comments.

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><p>~Eternity Chapter 1~<p>

The young woman was lost in her thoughts as she sat in her throne-like Captain's seat. It had been years since the death of the one she so loved dearly.

'_Has it really been that long? What has been so many years has felt like only a few months._' She mulled over in her mind, oblivious to the world around her.

"Captain." A voice called out to her, snapped her out of her thoughts and brought her back into the present.

"Yes? What is it Yin?" She inquired of the girl standing in front of her opening blind eyes slightly. She may not be able to see anything physically. But she could see everyone's auras, wrapping around them giving them detail.

Yin looked nervous as she stated that bounty hunters were on the Ship, The **Vijon**'s trail.

"Hmph." The Young woman scoffed softly. "They're probably sent by **mother dearest** no doubt." She spoke with minor venom at the word 'mother dearest'.

"destroy them." She bluntly ordered before shutting her eyes, going back to her thoughts.

Yin sighed "Very well." With that she turned around and ordered the cyborg sitting in front of her to fire the main weapon.

"Roger." The Cyborg spoke in a monotone voice before firing all weapons at the ships, destroying them with one clear shot.

The Youth watched the Bounty Hunters' ships exploded with sad eyes, knowing that those bounty hunters were most likely bribed with a empty promise, Wealth. She knew that if they even succeeded, which would be unlikely, they would have been put through the mechanization process and turned into cyborgs. As the one whom had hired them would not have let them live.

"The Bounty Hunters are exterminated. Again. " She reported to her captain as a large, Blood red wolf with haunting golden-orange eyes, stood next to her looking bored.

"When are we going to get worthy opponents?" It complained yawning. "This is getting boring."

Yin frowned knowing that Ryuu, The wolf, was easily bored if there was nothing exciting going on.

'_He's a warrior at birth._' The Woman thought amused. '_It's in his blood. His father was just as longing for battle as he is. Possibly more even. His father had been the original captain's greatest ally and dear companion. But..._' she mentally frowned '_At least his father knew how to be civil in situations. Once Ryuu opens his mouth and says something he shouldn't he gets the entire crew in deeper trouble then before._'

'_How ungrateful. _' Yin, on the other hand, thought with disdain, '_Even after we saved him all those years ago from those soldiers who had claimed that Ryuu had been the demon dog that terrorized and killed the people of their village he still chooses to act like this. _'

"Good. I just can't stand bounty hunters. They're so greedy nowadays, easily led on by lies of vast fortunes and immortality." The woman said opening an eye. Many times has The Vijon had bounty hunters who attempted and ultimately failed to destroy the powerful vessel.

"Eumeleia...when are we going to pay The **Sirius Platoon** a 'visit' ?" Ryuu questioned with a bored tone of voice. He loved to torture **Big One** and it's crew by conjuring Ghost Trains that were once lost in time. It was his favorite past time and now it's giving them rumors that led to serious danger after he brought back the train, **Eternity**. He mostly regretted that one because he had almost separated two siblings from each other.

'_Man do I miss Kat_' he mentally whined '**If she were here I wouldn't be sitting around here getting bored****!**'. Kathy was his partner a few years ago.

After their warrior Kathy Asagiri left the ship and snuck onto the Frontier for a mission, where she enlisted and became part of a air force, He became more eager for trains to come by ever since his partner left. The last time he heard from her she was sending a transmission from a different dimension, her describing that her craft must've gotten sucked into a black hole with her still inside it and sent her to some land where she's now a bodyguard to (Ryuu's opinion) a blueblood.

Eumeleia gazed out the large window of the captain's quarters into space imagining all those stars and planets that she had been told about in her youth. She yearned for her eyesight. Just so she could see the beauty of space.

"Maybe. But for now we rest. We're heading to Pluto tomorrow so get a good sleep." She spoke softly as Yin nodded and left the room towards her quarters.

"Good night captain." Yin bid her captain as she closed the door behind her.

Eumeleia watched Yin leave after bidding her good night.

"She's grown up." Ryuu stated no longer carrying the bored tone of voice but one of seriousness.

"She has hasn't she? She's changed from that small clingy little child to a strong young woman." She spoke wistfully. She had come across Yin when she had only been a mere 3 year old, covered in the blood of her parents. Her older brother Yang, was holding her closely to him as if he was afraid of being separated from her. She gave Yang to a old friend of hers. Her friend had taken in the boy gladly. They had owned a dojo and were willing to teach him everything they knew. She herself even taught him the way of the sword.

"Over time she's seen things that a child should never seen..." He mused. "But Instead of giving up on being your protégé it only gave her strength to move on. She's a talented fighter." He didn't want to admit it but the runt had grown on him. He had taught her how to control the very powers that led to her parents' death. During his teachings she had discovered and mastered many new abilities that proved her to be a deadly adversary. He had become proud of her. Even more so when she discovered that she could turn into a wolf.

Eumeleia smiled fondly at her companion as she silently agreed. Yin was brilliant girl. Anyone could see that. But in some ways Yin still had much to learn. The one thing she didn't want Yin to find out, was her lineage.

'_Yin must not know about her own family as well_.' She finalized as she prepared for bed.

'_For if she knew...Her view of her entire existence would be changed dramatically_.'

the mere thought of that saddened her. Yin was like a daughter to her. After all, She raised her like her own. It was the first time she knew how her mother felt raising her and her sisters whom she never got the chance to meet.

'_Mother._' A rare tear fell down her face for her mother. She once hoped that there was a way for her mother to regain her humanity. No longer does she hope for that. She had heard many things from the conductor of the 999 about what her mother had tried to do and the many lives she took to rebuild La Metal. And how The boy, Tetsuro who had been part of a promise she made, helped stop her mother.

'_I swore to Tetsuro's mother that I'd protect him when the time comes...it has yet to happen_.' She recalled but then heard a beep. She turned on a monitor next to her bed as it gave her information.

'uWhat?/u' She couldn't believe it. The sirius platoon was heading towards a planet she'd much rather avoid. She soon decided that the trip to Pluto would have to wait. Because a even more important task was set in front of her.

"I must protect and prevent what shall happen to the child that was placed in the conductor's kind hands." She thought out loud. "The boy must be kept safe."

Ryuu recalled the child. He and the child never started on the right foot. When they had first met the boy had yanked on his fur. For a long story short he was scolded later on by Eumeleia for making the boy trip over his tail.

"You're thinking about the very first moment you met him aren't you?" Eumeleia asked amused.

"...how'd you guess?" He grumbled as his tail laid flat on the ground with his ears flat against his skull.

"You had a pretty upset and grumpy look on your face." She stated as the blind woman let a rare smile appear on her lips. He could never fool her ability to sense one's emotions. Her ability to see auras helped her make out the look on his face.

Ryuu blushed under his fur in embarrassment of being caught like that. He was so caught up in his flashback that he hadn't payed attention to his expressions.

"errrmm...well..." he coughed. "G-good night!" he said before dashing to his own quarters.

'_Only Time will tell_' she let that thought linger in her mind as she . Into her dreams where she dreamt of her childhood. Of Her Mother, Her Father, and her sisters...

**~In The Vijon's Engine Room**~

***_BANG_***

"ITAI!" a voice exclaimed and echoed as a man held his head from where a part he was replacing fell onto his head.

"What a curse..." The man mumbled as he gingerly nursed the bump on his head before returning to his work. He had been working on a upgrade that he had come up with a few days ago and his lack of sleep had fogged his senses mostly.

"Finally." He said sighing as he stood up to observe his work. He had been working on this the entire morning and afternoon. His Daughter had stopped by twice to bring him his breakfast and lunch.

"The Weapons system has been given a major upgrade as well as the defense system" He murmured as he placed the cover back on the spot where he had been working on. He observed his work in satisfaction as a small squirrel sat on his shoulders.

"Also The Engine's been upgraded too. So that if situations get bad we can high-tail it faster than anything and get to destinations faster than what it would usually take to get to" He summarized to himself.

"What do you think?" he asked his brown-furred companion, who just gave a squeak in reply. He chuckled and stroked the squirrel's head with a finger.

"Yeah...I know." He mumbled as he put his tools away in it's proper box. Memories flooded through his mind of the days of his youth. The incident that drove himself in his younger years for revenge. The meeting he had that changed his life forever. And, The sacrifice he made to save his allies. The faces of the people he met and developed a close bond with went through his mind, one standing out in particular. And the young child he had found in a crystal that was in the middle of a extremely large tree.

"We'll meet again someday in the galaxy..." he said aloud he began to head towards the door.

"I'm sure of it. I'm sure that we'll meet each other again one day soon. Maybe even sooner." he said to himself as he opened the door.

"_Maetel_." He whispered as he shut the door behind him.

"Hey...You've been up for quite some time...Are you sure you're okay?" A young woman had been waiting for him outside of the door the entire time he had been in the engine room.

"Sarah?" He was surprised to see his adoptive daughter up at this time of night. "Why aren't you in bed like everybody else?" he questioned her, looking at her straight into her hazel eyes. The young woman fingered her waist length brunette hair, looking at a golden-brown strand that suddenly caught her interest.

"I-I was worried that you'd over-exert yourself." She stuttered. He had been her father-figure ever since he had found her on the day of her rebirth. She had completed her journey as a goddess and had willingly took the chance at another mortal life after giving her immortality to a person she knew who would have done a better job than she did.

The man gaze softened when he noticed her worry. He hadn't meant to make her worried to the point where'd she sacrifice her own sleep to make sure he was fine.

"I'm fine Sarah. There was no need to check up on me." He reassured her. "Let's get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us and Eumeleia will need us to be at our best." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked toward their shared room. As They planned to do what everyone else was doing. Getting a good night's rest.

**_~~We cannot determine what will happen. For who knows what will happen in the future.~~_**

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><p>1st Chapter completed! *happy dance* By the way...anyone who can guess the mysterious man will get a cookie :3 by the way...there will be more surprise guests like him in the future chapters.<p>

I made this story on the day of Leiji Matsumoto-sensei's birthday. I wrote it on paper and I had to search my journal to find it so I could type it.

GINGA NO YOUSEI OUT!


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay folks, I've been really busy with the finals of high school, my job, and graduation. So I wasn't able to find time to update this story. But I've finally been able to update it. _

_Once again, **I do not own GE999, Captain Harlock, or anything in the Leijiverse except my characters.**_

_****Enjoy, and please no flames, or totally useless reviews that try to put me down because that's when I put my foot down and I'll report you to the admins._

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><p>~Chapter two~: The Letter from the Forgotten Planet part 1<p>

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><p><em><em>She tossed and turned in her sleep, groaning from a horrifying dream that didn't seem to end.

'No...'

_'My dearest daughter, you must live on for me.'  
><em>

_'I'm sorry my beloved Eumeleia, my precious Eumeleia.'_

_'No! Don't go! Mommy don't leave me!'_

_'MOMMY!'_

"NO!" Eumeleia shot up in her bed ,eyes wide, and holding her head. Breathing heavily, she realized that she had another of those nightmares.

_'No. Not a nightmare. A past memory that I'd rather forget.'_ She thought to herself as a knock was heard at her door. She shut her eyes and rubbed her forehead, her head thumping from the sudden awakening. "Come in."

The door had opened to reveal a girl made of glass crystal. Eumeleia found her one day and offered the lost and confused girl a home with her and the crew. She quickly accepted. Slowly but surely she had remembered who she was, during her stay on the **Maelstrom**.

Her name was Claire.

"Miss Eumeleia. Good Morning." Claire greeted. "There's a transmission for you from Miss Marina." She walked up to Eumeleia with a tray of food in her hands as she handed it over to Eumeleia. "I also took the liberty of making breakfast for you."

Eumeleia couldn't help but smile at the kind girl. She had gone through so much before they found her. She was one of the rare few with a heart made of pure gold. Even if her body wasn't one of flesh.

"Thank you Claire. That was very sweet of you." She took a bite of her food and swallowed. "You're a very talented young lady. You could run so many restaurants out of business with your extraordinary cooking skills."

Every compliment was true, Claire did once work on the **999 **after all.

Claire's cheeks were dusted with pink as she stammered out a thank you. She wasn't used to having been told such complements from Eumeleia. Claire admired and looked up to her. She was brave, confident, polite yet stern and could be frightening if she wanted to be. She was like a mother bear protecting her cubs.

"Also Nasca-san wanted me to tell you something." Claire twiddled her thumbs nervously.

She didn't know how she would take it. Eumeleia's emotions were hard to read as she always kept a emotionless mask and appearance. She could only hope it was reaction that wouldn't cause her close friend and captain to be upset. Eumeleia already had woken up from a disturbing nightmare that stressed out her nerves.

_'I pray that she doesn't get mad at Nasca-san...the poor man is frantic enough as he is.'_ she silently hoped.

Eumeleia put down her fork to listen after finishing off her breakfast. She raised her head so that Claire could look at her milky pupils. Claire was told about how she was born blind but something deep inside her told her that it wasn't by birth. There were scars on her eyes.

_'Something tells me that her blindness was caused by something else...but what?'_

"If it's from Nasca then it can be any kind of news." She pinched the bridge of her nose sighing. Whenever Nasca gave news it was either really bad or somewhat in between good and bad. Most of the time it was bad. Hopefully it was good this time. Claire snapped out of her thoughts to share the news.

"He says that the _**999**_ is only a few miles ahead of us, stranded on a planet. and the_** Sirius Platoon**_ is closing in on their current location." Eumeleia looked surprised. The **_999_**wouldn't have crash-landed on a planet on its own. And for the _**Sirius**_** Platoon** to get involved then the situation must've been serious.

"Is that so?" She chuckled. She quickly changed and and walked out the door with Claire following right next to her. She put on her cape that a friend made for her a long time ago. Her friend had made her outfit and cape to symbolize her rebellion against mechanization. And as her life as a space pirate.

"I'll go ahead and check that everyone is in their stations." Claire ran ahead of her turned a corner to where the main deck/control center of the ship was. She left her captain alone to wallow in her own thoughts that she seemed to visit so often.

Eumeleia didn't respond as she quietly followed the path that Claire took with ease. She didn't need her eyesight to know where she was going. She walked the many paths in the vessel enough to know where was what.

"As you know we're supposed to be on our way to Pluto, but I was just informed that the **999** have gotten themselves into a bit of trouble." She spoke as she walked onto the outer bridge. Everyone was at their stations, and were awaiting further orders. The air had gotten tense with the mentions of the train, and the danger they might've gotten involved in.

"Yin, Serah, Nasca..." Their heads rose as they made eye contact with their captain. "I can tell that the three of you are bored so I'll give you this mission."

The three stood at attention in front of her.

"Do you mind going to the planet, and board the wreaked _**999**_ and check if there's any passengers left on board? I normally wouldn't bother if it were any other train but..."

They already had the idea, and they were more than happy to do it. The trio grinned at each other and turned to salute their captain.

"Yes m'am!"

Their eagerness made her proud, but she felt like she was their mother who just asked their children if they wanted a toy.

Nasca and Serah's joy was to be expected but for Yin to be just as excited was a surprise..

Nasca hadn't been on the **_999_** for a very long time, so of course he'd be eager to see it. The train is where he met the love of his life after all.

Serah had heard countless tales of the train and was always wanting to see it for herself, being a myth enthusiast.

Yin's reason, for now, is a mystery.

_'I'm going to admit...'_ She thought with a approving smile. _'To see her this happy is a nice change of pace from her usual bored expression. Those two have been great influences on her.'_

She chuckled, and dismissed them. They knew their mission, but more importantly they needed the air as they were becoming aggravated and high-strung from being on the ship for so long. The last planet they got off on was the Planet **Heavy Meldar**, when they were in desperate need of repairs. They were currently on their way to Pluto, to offer a old friend of hers a second chance at life.

It was only by chance that the **999** was near their route.

She shut her eyes, and relaxed in her seat.

_**line break**_

The trio left the outer bridge with haste and made their way towards the hanger, where their ship laid. The ship was big enough to carry 5 max, despite it's outer appearance. The ship was designed as a miniature version of the ship Nasca and Arina had attempted at fixing, since it was a memorial to the moment of when he had met Arina. They named it _**Arina**_ in her memory. The ship had no weapons however, so it was left open to attacks. But, it's defense systems were enough to give them about 7 hours of energy to escape when they were attacked.

Racing down the catwalk, Yin hadn't noticed that there was something in front of her until she ran into it.

"Ah!" She cried out as she fell backwards and landed on her bottom. She was so eager to get out of the ship that she failed to see what was in front of her, resulting in her collision.

"Ouch." she muttered as she rubbed her sore behind. She continued to grumble until a hand met her line of vision. She gladly accepted the hand and thanked the owner of it. "Thanks. That really hurt."

_'Note to self, never run in the hanger, and keep a sharp eye out for hazards.'_

"Hey Dr. Farah." Nasca greeted the stranger with a lazy wave and his signature grin and wink. "Nice seeing you here. How've you been?"

Yin recognized him immediately.

He was with Eumeleia when she found her and her brother. Eumeleia explained that due to her being the first born, she inherited the powers of the millennial queens (but it was only a theory of hers). She accidentally used this power when she came across Dr. Farah as a child, back on La Metal when her mother had gone to stop Laurela. She was hiding somewhere in Laurela's throne room safe from view.

She heard and saw everything.

Even her mother's screams of pain and Laurela's cries of anger as she was presumably killed.

When her mother was carried off, she had crawled out from her hiding space and sat in front of his body. They had checked his vitals earlier and thought it was a lost cause, but only she could sense there was still a bit of life left in him.

It was faint but it was still enough for her to heal him. He was in shock for a moment or two but had come to his senses. He expressed his gratitude by staying by her side and helping her ever since then. He explained to her about her mother, and the clones he made. He became a father figure to Yin after they found her and her also created the device which hid Yin's true form from reality.

"Hello Nasca. I'm doing quite well." He inclined his head in his direction as he looked over Yin for any bruises. He had become protective of the young girl and swore to keep her safe, since, in a way, she was Eumeleia's child. He owed a great debt of gratitude to her for saving his life.

He will always regret ever creating those clones of the queen, if he knew that they were going to be used for the purpose that happened years ago. He swore that he will never create another clone as long as he was still alive.

_ 'I can only hope that we find that other clone of Yayoi soon. We have so much to tell her._' He sighed.

The clones that originally been thrown away by the queen after her mechanical body had been perfected. The only living clones left were of Lady Emeraldas and the queen herself. They had found Lady Emeraldas' clone and she has stayed on the ship as a his medical assistant. She resembled a younger Emeraldas, during the time of when Maetel returned to La Metal to free the remnants of her mother's tortured human soul. She even wears the same clothing Emeraldas did back then. It's almost looking at the past. The only difference is her violet eyes and the lack of a skull hair clip. Instead a round, green, smooth gemstone took its place as a hairclip. She was less violent and more withdrawn and shy than the real Emeraldas. It was pure luck that they found this clone, or the queen would have gone after it.

Yin blushed from the fatherly attention but childishly pouted, saying that she wasn't hurt at all.

"Fine fine...If you say so." Farah just chuckled and backed away,

Saying their goodbyes, the trio climbed into the **Arina**, and shut the door behind them. He got off the catwalk and waved farewell to them as they left the hanger and into the vastness of space. He was a tad concerned for their safety when hearing about the current situation of the **999**, but he tried to throw that concern away by convincing himself that they'd be fine.His concern only grew when he noticed an odd blinking red blip on a screen that appeared beside him.

Red blips were bad, signifying that it was not friendly.

Something was following the _Arina_.

But what?

Everything was silent as he watched the blip closed distance. Half an hour later a scream rang from a communication link from the _**Arina**_, and the red blip was right on top of it.

The ship was attacked.

"**Arina**! Please respond!" He tried to keep the communication link from shutting down, but before Nasca could respond the screen fizzed out, and vanished.

_'Eumeleia...She's not going to be happy about this.'_

_**Thirty minutes ago**_

When they were a few miles away from the **Maelstrom**, everything was going smoothly, and so far nothing had gone wrong.

But thirty minutes later that changed. because out of nowhere, the ship was being fired at.

As the **_Arina_ **shook and groaned from the hits she took, The trio inside were in a panic.

Yin was holding onto her seat and bit her lip trying to quiet her screams.

Nasca was trying to evade whoever was hitting them and Serah quickly searched for the assailant.

When she gained a clear visual, her face grew pale when she realized who or what it was. It even grew paler knowing that they had no chance against the small scout ship that was their dear ship's attacker.

The race was ruthless, and desired nothing but the death of humans, and anything of flesh.

It was the race that desired to create a world purely of green, vibrant plant life.

_**The Mazone.**_

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><p><strong><em><em>**_Okay part 1 is done, but we have yet to get to the good stuff._

_Next chapter will be a flashback from Eumeleia herself in her PoV._

_and three surprise guests will be in it. So do me a nice little favor, and click the review button._

_Pretty please?~_

_Reviewers get a virtual cookie._


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay folks, as promised here's chapter 3, with the flashback. _

_Enjoy and you know the disclaimer by now._

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><p>~Chapter 3~ The Letter From The Forgotten Planet, Part 2<p>

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><p>As the <em><strong>Arina<strong>_ was under attack, Eumeleia sat in the inner bridge, lost to the world around her. She was aware of the situation with the _**Arina**_ but her mind kept going back to the reason of why the _**999**_ was so important to her, and the truth of why she sent those three after it._  
><em>

She thought back to the days of her youth, and her sassy, sarcastic, and adventurous personality she held back then...

~Flashback, Eumeʼs PoV~

_It was Easter Sunday, a holiday that I once celebrated with my family when we were still together._

_When I was first starting out on my journey, a few years after reviving Nasca and discovering Yin, I had snuck away while they had been resting. I had heard of rumors around the galaxy about my youngest sister. I continued searching for days on end to where the never-ending tales would lead me, and, by the time I searched the final rumor, I ended up on Heavy Meldar. I had been running low on fuel and supplies, and I wasnʼt going to last another trip. The moment I stepped off, I found myself with my arms raised in the air, and a gun pointed to my face._

_I had just been held at gunpoint by the one and only Captain Warrius Zero._

_Damn my luck. Maybe if I try to sneak aroun-_

_"Why are you here?"_

_Double damn. There went being sneaky._

_I was hoping to not get noticed._

_ʻWell...ʼ I glanced back at my ship. ʻ...It does look like the Death Shadow...ʼ_

_Just so you all know, My ship is called the **Maelstrom**. It was the prototype of the** Death Shadow**. I convinced Tochiro to let me have it._

_ʻI guess he mistook the ship for Harlockʼs~ʼ I smirked, amused. ʻPoor guy got himself all excited for nothing~ʼ_

_"Wait...Youʼre not Harlock." A look of surprise and shock briefly crossed his face before his glare returned._

_A round of applause for captain obvious folks. Geez...Itʼs obvious Iʼm not him._

_"Why would Harlock be a woman?" I lowered my hands and rested him on my hips, leaning my weight on my left foot, cocking an eyebrow. I originally planned to roll my eyes and say something ruder then that but Iʼd rather walk away from this with me being intact._

_'Rather not have my ship give me a lecture on how I should be more careful, and how I shouldn't set people with guns off like that' I grumbled._

_I took a few seconds to cool myself down. I really want this to be over with._

_"I apologize that my shipʼs sudden appearance had your hopes up." I sighed._

_...Great. The glare grew. What did I do now?_

_His eyes shifted from my ship, then back to me._

_ʻIs he-ʼ_

_"Then what are you doing with the Death Shadow?" he practically hissed out. I possibly have made him madder at me. Sheesh. Whatʼs with these kinds of guys that I set off?_

_ʻOh for the love of-...He just accused me of stealing.ʼ I couldnʼt help but feel upset, but at the same time I was mentally slapping myself on the choice of color._

_Did it really look the same that much? _

_Then again, it is a shade darker...maybe I shouldʼve painted it a different color. __I was too negligent to change it when I got it... _

_Lesson learned._

_I coughed, trying to get rid of this awkward feeling. "I can assure you that this is not his ship."_

_Doubt lingered in his eyes and his glare lessened. He still didnʼt lower his gun. Weʼre going to end up attracting unwanted attention at this rate from all this._

_"Look..." I sighed, feeling a bit agitated. I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache growing. I needed a nice, cold drink. "Why donʼt I explain this to you over a drink?"_

_He hesitated. Even if I was partially blind, I can still tell that he has this uncertain look on his face, as if to say "I dunno...You are a pirate after all..."_

_Iʼm not that threatening...yet. Just wait until I get older then youʼll really have a reason to fear me...or just be nervous around me._

_"Iʼll pay." I quickly added. I could since his nervousness vanish, which was a good sign._

_We sat at the bar, got our drinks, and I asked him on why he was so adamant about going after Harlock._

_He glanced away from my eyes the moment they locked onto mine. "Well..."_

_During the entire time he spoke, I payed attention to every word, every detail, dedicating his story to my memory. After he was done I decided to speak up, fiddling with the empty bottle in my hand._

_"So let me get this straight...When the war against humanoids happened, you lost your family, which gave you motivation to fight the mechanized men. But then you get this order from your supreme commander, that says that Harlock is allied with the mechanical men and so you have to hunt him down?"_

_He nodded. "That sums it up." he took a small sip of his sake, he cringed a bit, barely noticeable. I could feel that it mustʼve been too strong...oops. If I meet him again, Iʼll let him order what he wants._

_"But Harlock trained you. And heʼs fighting against the Mechanized empire, not with them." I whispered, glances nonchalantly at the other bar patrons. Some mechanized, some gruff looking, and some that looked like theyʼve deserved a nice drink after a hard dayʼs work...but there was a group of nasty looking men with guns that sat at a dark corner, next to the wanted posters._

_Some of them mustʼve been bounty hunters, from the way they were eying Young Harlockʼs wanted poster like Nasca eyes engines...and Nasca was almost ready to tear apart the Maelstrom piece by piece just to see how it worked._

_I was wary. I didnʼt want them to overhear. And I didnʼt want this nice evening to be ruined either._

_"I know...thatʼs why I went to find out the answers."_

_I had been fiddling with my bottle the entire time, and I stopped, realizing something._

_ʻShoot. He just told me his story...Iʼll have to tell mine.ʼ I mentally groaned._

_"Listen..." I muttered, gazing into the reflective surface of the bottle in front of me. "What Iʼm about to tell you...stays between us. No one else."_

_So I started telling him about my mother when she was a woman known as Yayoi Yukino, the history of the millennial queens, about La Metal and the constant travel it took to Earth in order to collect slaves, La Metalʼs harsh migration that turned the_

_surface of the planet into a frozen wasteland. I even told him what my mentor, Daggar, told me before his mechanization at the hands of Hardgear._

_ʻHardgear...ʼ I was reminded of the one responsible for the queen's change, but he wasn't like that before._

_He was human, just like me. He had once been my childhood friend growing up. But one day he disappeared when Count Mecha showed up and ambushed us. Years later he returned but he had changed. He was no longer human, but he had become a machine. When he tried to persuade me to be mechanized, I refused. I suddenly realized that it wasnʼt just his appearance that changed, but his personality as well. It was like it wasnʼt even him. I felt this dark presence coming from him, so my mother, fearing my safety, forced me to leave La Metal in hopes that I would remain human._

_I didnʼt realize that I had stopped talking. I quickly apologized and I told him that my goal was to find a way to eliminate the sinister evil that had possessed my mother, which I believed to have come from the chip that had been inserted into my motherʼs brain, since he was able to control her. It has to be the reason that started the dramatic turn of events that led up to todayʼs war on mechanization._

_He had been very quiet, and he looked up from his half-finished drink and stared at my face. I resisted the urge to glance at the wall just to avoid meeting his eyes._

_"So you too, lost your family..." he mumbled quietly._

_I could swear I saw pity in his eyes, but I think we do understand each otherʼs pain of losing the ones we loved. But there was a big difference on that._

_He lost his wife and child. I lost my parents._

_Those were two completely different things. I have never been in a romantic relationship, nor would I during this time. I would never be able to understand losing your significant other, because I was never with anyone romantically._

_Besides, I knew that he had a new love, a woman named Marina. I've met her many times._

_But I never had that, a lover. I wouldn't understand that loss._

_I wouldnʼt be able to understand how much it hurts to lose your child, because I never had one._

_I will never understand how much the pain feels like._

_"Yes. Not only did I lose my mother, but my father as well." My hand flew up to the locket that rested between my collarbone. It held the photo of me, my father, and my mother. I was holding baby Emeraldas while mother held baby Maetel._

_It was the only thing I have left, ever since Hardgear forced fatherʼs mind into a locket that has fallen into Maetelʼs hands...but I didnʼt just lose my parents._

_I lost Daggar._

_Mirai._

_Holy Queen Laurela._

_My best friend Jonathan, who became Hardgear._

_My faithful companion Steel, a silver wolf that bravely took a bullet for me, when Count Mecha attempted to kill me._

_I lost many of my men, when we went to fight in a desperate attempt at saving a planet that was doomed to destruction, no matter what happened._

_I frowned and inwardly slapped myself. This wasnʼt the time to regret the past. ʻThey are dead...ʼ I thought. ʻ...And they died bravely and with honor. Well, not Hardgear though. He tried to kill my sisters.ʼ They deserve that eternal rest._

_"Anyways, I have two sisters. Theyʼre younger than me though." I smiled wistfully. "They are twin sisters, but one is older than the other. She has red hair and a fiery spirit."_

_Ah Emeraldas, the eldest twin. My own fierce spirit and will to fight for what I believe in had rubbed off on her, when I heard of her battles on La Metal, and her taking the path that led to her becoming a pirate. The same path that I took._

_Her eyes were such a beautiful green. They shined brilliantly with life._

_Just like an Emerald..._

_ʻOh the irony of it all.ʼ_

_I chuckled and he raised an eyebrow, wondering what had been so funny that I laughed._

_I shot him a carefree smirk. "But I know where she is. Iʼm looking for my younger sister, Maetel."_

_Once I said her name, his eyes widened to the size of golfballs and he choked on his drink, sputtering. I pat him on the back while he coughed. I felt a tiny bit concerned but at the same time I was confused by his suddenly violent reaction that happened the moment the name passed my lips._

_"M-Maetel? S-sheʼs your sister?" He coughed between words, trying to get his breathing back to normal after his moment of shock. He thought that my eyes looked familiar, but he would have never suspected that I was her sister._

_I stopped patting him on the back and looked at him funny. "Yeah. Why? Do you know her?"_

_Then again...Maetelʼs become pretty popular. It seems like nowadays that almost everyone has either seen her, or has even talked to her once. So maybe that wasnʼt the best question..._

_"I met her once, on the planet Technologia." My ears perked up. I had heard most rumors that were about Technologia. I had planned to go to there before but when I heard that Maetel was last seen here, I put it aside._

_"How did you come to meet my sister?" I couldnʼt help but ask. My curiosity and thirst for knowledge got the best of me._

_"I was on my mission to find Harlock, when suddenly the Chairwoman of the Terrestrial Federation ordered me to defend Technologia from an assault led by Hel-Matear and her gravity-radiating ship the Hellcastle. I put my quest on hold when I heard from her that there had been uncovered evidence of a mechanized conspiracy within the Technologian government."_

_Seeing my confused look, when he spat out Hel-Matearʼs name with venom, he explained that it was she who had once sabotaged his beloved ship, The Karyu._

_I couldnʼt help but shudder at the thought of Hel-Matear and her ship.. I once had seen Hel-Matear as my idol, and heard many stories about her that sent chills down my spine. Even the name of her ship sounded...well...creepy._

_"I was then on a frozen planet, with thousands of human bodies that were buried inside the ice. Thatʼs when I met a enigmatic young woman dressed in a light shade of blue, who told me the secrets of the planet that I was on, and about the end of the human race." He remembered the look in the young womanʼs eyes that gave him the feeling that she had gone through a lot in her life._

_ʻHer looks may be youthful,ʼ he thought, ʻbut her eyes tell a different story.ʼ_

_"I first had no idea why the Chairwoman would send me to defend such a small planet, but Maetel had explained to me that even though Technologia may be a small planet, it was important because it is the only planet where humans and mechanical beings live in harmony."_

_I was really surprised. One of the rumors had just been confirmed. There was word of a planet where there were no wars among the beings of metal, and humans. There were never disputes, or cases of abuse between the two. No one was treated as a slave, but as an equal. That does indeed, sound like a paradise._

_"I was joined by Toshiro Oyama and Emeraldas, in a assault on the Hellcastle."_

_My eyebrows furrowed and my frown grew. "Why would Hel-Matear go after Technologia in the first place?" _

_It didn't quite make sense but wasn't there something that I heard about Hel-Matear?_

_"She had planned to destroy all organic life from the universe, and populate it with robots."_

_My face paled. That sounded too much like my mo-I mean Queen Promethium's plan. Except Promethium wasn't going to kill humans. Just mechanize them._

_I think if I was to face either Promethium or Hel-Matear..._

_I'd take my chances with Promethium, thanks._

_"I didn't expect this though, I ended up working together with the man I was looking for, my rival, in order to take Hel-Matear down." He faintly smiled. It was the first time they worked together as a team for a mutual goal._

_'Harlock and those two probably would've never have relaxed around me if it weren't for Torii-san.' He thought of the bird that was Tochiro's trusted companion. The more he thought about the bird, the more he was drawn into his memories..._

_While he was in deep thought, probably going down the memory lane, I immediately thought of a line from a book I once read, and I couldn't help but say it aloud as I recited it in my head._

_"Enemy warriors whose unwavering devotion to a samurai code of honor produces mutual respect and admiration..."_

_Out of no where I heard a snort, and quickly looked at Zero, who was attempting to hold back his laughter._

_He had snapped out of it once he heard me speak. Just in time for him to hear every last word._

_He couldn't hold back much longer after that, so he started laughing uncontrollably._

_It was contagious. I found myself laughing right along with him._

_Neither one of us cared if we were being stared at as if we were freaks. Neither of us cared if people were whispering about us. We were too far gone with the mirth and laughter that filled us both._

_"Well said." Zero grinned, and I playfully slapped his shoulder._

_I returned his grin with a smiled, and enjoyed the rest of the evening together._

_~Few hours later~_

_After the fun was done, and we were calm, I got up from my seat and paid the bartender, telling him to give a free round for anyone in the pub, and walked out._

_'The ship's probably repaired by now.'_  
><em>I had almost made it there until I heard footsteps, sounding like someone was running.<em>

_"Stop!" Zero had run after me, and I stopped walking so he was caught up, standing right beside me._

_"I know where Maetel was last seen!"_

_I froze, and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him to the port in haste, but not enough to draw unnecessary attention to us._

_On the way there he explained to me that before he left the pub, a old man had overheard our conversation (so much for being quiet) and he pulled him over to discuss some info to him._

_He had once worked on the 999, his job was to repair the train if it was given minimal damage. He had been taking his break until he saw a young woman in blue and long blonde hair that reached her ankles get onto the train, with a solemn expression. It wasn't just her face that gave a story, but her eyes were far more expressive than her face. He never had seen such a great deal of sorrow and hardship in a woman as young as she was. It had almost as if she had been given a great burden to carry on her slim shoulders that she couldn't get rid of. He spared her some glances, as we went back to work. Every stop they made, she would get off, and get back on once it was time for the train to continue it's journey._

_But one day, something was different._

_She had gotten off like she normally did, and got back on. But something was different, when he gazed into her eyes he could seethat she no longer wore blue but black. He saw that her eyes weren't the color the of sea, but were instead a deep brown. He never questioned it, neither did the conductor._

_He just couldn't bring himself to ask her..._

_I had been extremely quiet the entire time. I was disturbed. Something did happen to Maetel._

_I used to share this unique connection with my sisters, but one day I felt the connection I had with Maetel was suddenly severed._

_I felt as if I had lost a part of me in the most painful way ever imagined._

_I had only had Emeralda's mind to comfort me, as I had sat in my captain's quarters, silently crying and mourning over the very thought that Maetel might have died...or worse._

_Become a machine..._

_It was at least good to know that she was still around...but why hasn't the connection repaired itself? Something doesn't add up here..._

_"Do you think he's telling the truth?"_

_He nodded, believing every word the old man had spoken to him about. "I do. It may sound a bit far-fetched to you but I believe that it's good enough to be a lead."_

_I couldn't contain the excitement and relief that I felt, and I did something that I have never done since I was little. I had jumped off the crate I had decided to sit on during his little tale, and I wrapped my arms around him in a hug._

_In all my years...I have never met a man that blushed as hard as Zero had._

_"Good enough? It's not good enough it's wonderful!" I laughed, smiling brightly, He blushed even redder than before._

_I calmed myself down enough to ask "Now then, would you like to walk the rest of the way with me?"_

_He walked along with me to the front of the Maelstrom that was shining brilliantly and proudly, fully repaired and ready to head off._

_As the dock hands finished loading the last of the supplies onto the ship I held my hand out to Zero._

_"I really appreciate the help earlier, It really helps my search." I softly spoke, quiet enough so that he could hear, but so that the dock hands didn't overhear us. "Thanks"_

_Zero shook my hand full-heartedly with a smile of his own. "It wasn't a problem. Good luck on finding her." As he felt something cold slide into his hand, he looked down at our intertwined hands, I pulled my hand away to show that I had slipped something into his. I pulled my hand away to show that I had placed a small silver card with a long array of numbers printed on it in gold. He stared down at the card before looked back up, staring at me with a inquisitive look in his eyes._

_I read the look on his face and before he could ask I immediately answered._

_"It's the Maelstrom's communication link code. Consider it a payment for the information." I winked. "Consider it a little gift from me to you."_

_"But why give me this?" he asked, feeling somewhat confused as of why I'd give him something important._

_"We are comrades."_

_"Comrades?" He unconsciously stiffened at the familiar word and clutched the card tightly in his grasp,_

_Noticing his discomfort, I rested my hand over his. His shaking and tense hand relaxed._

_"Yes. Comrades, allies, friends, whatever you wish to call it." Nodding, I removed the card from his grip and placed it a pocket on his jacket. "We became comrades, the very moment we met eyes I knew that we would."_

_"Whenever you feel lost, or that you wish to talk to me again about anything, don't hesitate to call me." I pulled my hand away from his, and walked over to a ramp that led up to one of the many doors into the Maelstrom._

_As he watched me walk away something occurred to him._

_"Wait!"_

_I spun on my heel to stare down at him directly in the eyes._

_"What's your name!"_

_I hadn't told him before did I? I know this was to happen…but I must have his trust._

_"My name is Eumeleia, the firstborn of Queen La Andromeda Promethium II. I am destined to forever sail the sea of stars in search of my true place in this universe."_

_'And the truth behind my odd gift.' I silently added._

_"Farewell, Captain Warrius Zero. May we meet again some day."_

_WIthout looking back, I entered my beloved Maelstrom, and quickly took a shortcut to my captain's seat on the bridge._

_Once again, the Maelstrom took off into the vast realm of space in search of Maetel.._

_~Few days later~_

_That day that I took off, I had immediately set the course for Pluto._

_"Milady, we've arrived at your destination. Please prepare for docking." The Maelstrom's soul announced._

_"Thank you my dearest." I patted the floating orb of lighting in front of me._

_"Please take care, we shall wait for your safe return."_

_I got up from my usual spot on the bridge, and tossed on my cloak._

_After gathering what I needed I got off of the Maelstrom, giving specific instructions not to let anyone on without my permission._

_She looked all the doors behind me._

_I walked into the town that stood right across from the docking station. The town wasn't very populated, as I walked passed only a few people._

_There was a reason for that too._

_I asked a young man if he had seen a woman garbed in black mourning clothes,_

_"Black mourning clothes?" He echoed. "No I don't recall seeing someone like that."_

_I was a tad disappointed. "Oh…"_

_"But maybe Elder Johaan will know something. He's lived for many years here so he'll most likely have your answer." He pointed to a house that stood taller than the others. "He'll be in the mayor's office right over there."_

_I sighed quietly and thanked him, following his directions._

_I met the mayor, who looked very young for someone so old. I almost had mistook him for a child, only for him to tell me that he was a century old. Embarrassed, I apologized for my rudeness, and repeated my question._

_"Hmmmm…" He stroked his chin. "A young woman in blue once came here, asking for directions to the graveyard. I thought she came here for family reasons."_

_"please Elder, could you tell me where to find the graveyard? It's extremely important that I find it." I was on the verge of pleading._

_He happily gave me a map, and I was off on my way._

_"Okay this can't be right." I held up the map. "It says I'm at the graveyard but where are all the graves?" I sighed in frustration, and sat down on a block of ice, gazing down at the smooth surface, and gazing at the peaceful face of a young girl._

_Waitt….young girl?_

_I shook up from the ice in shock and horror._

_Once I had noticed the child, I suddenly noticed that it wasn't just the girl in the ice. Row after row of bodies were resting under the ice that I stood on. Their hands resting over their midsection, like most bodies were buried in a proper burial. Each body held a peaceful expression, but it only frightened me more._

_'What the hell is this place?"_

_I jumped as a cold hand tapped me on the shoulder and a voice timidly broke the silence._

_"Excuse me but…are you lost?"_

_I jumped away from the hand and turned around, my hand hovering over my gun. I couldn't tell how she said anything, as her face lacked a mouth. Her blue hair covered her eyes entirely, and ended at where her ankles that were covered. Her dress resembled one of my mother's in her youth, except this one was a dark lavender that contrasted with her white skin. Her appearance was fitting for such a cold planet._

_"Excuse me, miss?"_

_I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I spaced out for a moment. What is this place?" I gestured to the bodies. "Why are they-"_

_"This is the Graveyard. Welcome." She respectively bowed._

_"Some of these bodies look too young to belong to a graveyard. Not to mention that there doesn't seem to be wrong with any of them. No wounds, no sighs of illness. Not even a scratch."_

_If she had a mouth, She would have smiled._

_"These are bodies that were abandoned."_

_"Abandoned?"_

_"Yes. Please follow me. I'll explain it on the way."_

_I went against my better judgement, and walked after her._

_As we walked across the ice, above the bodies that rested under our very feet, I asked her my question once again._

_"So what did you exactly mean by abandoned?"_

_"They did what most people are doing nowadays. Buying mechanical bodies so that they may live longer. To look perfect, to be free from illness, or feeling cold. Some even had no other choice but to gain a mechanical body, as their own were far too weak to sustain their human life.""_

_I didn't realize that children were included on this too._

_"So who are you exactly?"_

_"My name is Shadow, I am this graveyard's keeper." She introduced herself._

_'Something tells me that's not the only reason why you're here.' I silently glared at the back of her head, wondering what her story was._

_"My body is kept here too."_

_Woah. Didn't think that she'd tell me that._

_"Would you like to see it?"_

_Without letting me give her my response, she grabbed my hand and guided me toward a lone cave._

_We walked down a flight of stairs to a large crystalline room, and in the center was a casket of ice, intricately designed._

_Upon closer inspection, A woman resided in the casket, her ginger hair resting neatly around her. It may sound odd, coming from another woman, but she was extremely beautiful,._

_"Is this your body?"_

_She stood right next to me, and placed a hand on the lid, stroking it lovingly, almost in a longing fashion._

_"Yes. I was proud of my youth and beauty, but when I looked around me I saw how old humans became. So I feared that I too, would grow old and I would lose my beauty. I wanted to stay young forever. So I chose to adopt a mechanical body that was just as beautiful as my real one."_

_"But….You have no face."_

_She looked down. I could tell she was saddened by the obvious, and mourned her choice._

_"I was unable to find a body that was like my own, so I chose to have a body without a face." She moved her hair away from her face, and true enough, she had no face._

_No mouth, no eyes, All there was, was a nose. Not even eyebrows,_

_"I didn't want to discard my real body, so I hid it in this cavern." She kneeled down, and pressed her forehead against the casket, hands clutching the silk cover the casket was laid upon._

_"Do you regret your choice?" I rubbed her back comfortingly._

_"I…" She grew silent, She was confused and conflicted, She wanted her body back so badly, but she didn't want to grow old either._

_"If you truly regret your decision, and wish to return to your body of warm flesh, please let me know. I can help you, only if you so desire it."_

_She was still for a while, and I was afraid that I might've scared her until I felt arms wrap around me. her face buried in my shoulder, sobbing._

_I continued to rub her back, whispering and cooing comforting words, like a mother would to her child. Even if she was a machine, she could still feel emotions and could express them. Her shoulders shook with every heart-wrenching sob._

_A few minutes passed and her crying lessened. When she was finally quiet she pulled away._

_"T-thank you…" She hesitated in pulling away from my warmth, but managed to gain some distance enough for her to gain some composure. "You're the very first person to ever stay by my side, and not been frightened by my appearance. You even were willing to hug me, despite how I could easily take away the warmth of your body."_

_"I am just that kind." Even though I smiled, I still had something to take care of. "I have a request."_

_"Of course, what is it?"_

_"Well….." To make a long explanation short, I told her about Maetel, and I was happy to know where she visited in this graveyard often._

_We walked for a few minutes until we came across a lone body, a sign that it was the star of a new row._

_"This is where she'd visit." She stopped in above a body, and moved out of the way for me to see. "I'll leave you alone…I hope to see you again."_

_She left me alone in the graveyard._

_I kneeled down, and looked closer only to jerk back. What I had seen caused my heart to stop, my hands shook and my face paled. I felt lightheaded as my mind went numb with shock. I couldn't take my eyes off of the face, even if I wanted to. My insides told me to run as far from her as possible, and forget what I had just seen but I wouldn't._

_I felt dead inside now._

_'There's just no way…it's impossible…'_

_"Maetel…why? Why is Maetel here?" I cried._

_I cried and cried, feeling like a lost child. The last time I ever cried was when I could feel my mother's soul fading….I didn't move from that spot for hours._

_I cried until there were no tears left to shed, and when I was done, __I made a silent vow to always protect her and I'd be damned if I stopped now because of something like thi_

_Solemnly, I got up, bid farewell to Shadow, and left the cold planet that left my heart just as frozen._

~Flashback end~

Eumeleia grabbed a golden locket that was connected to her belt, safely secure. She absentmindedly rubbed the cold hard surface of the locket as she thought back on that day. Her eyes closed at the comforting hum of the ship.

"Maetel…" She muttered. "Just what are you panning on doing?" her eyes opened to glare in front of her, as if Maetel were standing right in front of her.

'My connection with Maetel was severed, so I can't tell what she's thinking about…damn it.'

A sharp beep pierced her train of thought, and a communication screen opened up in front of her face.

"Ah. It's you." She smiled warmly, "Did you do as I requested? Commander?" She decided to take precautions, and had called for back-up earlier before the small ship had gone too far.

"Yes your majesty. The rescue went as just as you hoped it would." His respect for her made her smile. She was not a queen, even if she was supposed to be. But every time she told him, he'd tell her that his loyalty lied with her and only her.

"ANd of the enemy?" She raised an eyebrow, resting her chin on her hand in a relaxed manner.

"I sent in a salvage team, just a few moments ago…but…"

"But?"

"It was just as you suspected. It was no mazone scout."

She heard the distinct sound of papers shuffling. "If it wasn't a mazone, then what was it?"

he hesitated. "It was made out of unnatural materials…materials the mazone would never be able to create"

Her head shot up. "Then that means!-" She trailed off, she harbored doubts that it could be it earlier, but now...

"Yes your majesty…" His anger and anguish was visible through the tremor in his voice. "It's of Promethium's handiwork."

'So she's after me now. She's trying to draw me out by threatening the lives of my crew.'

She rubbed her forehead, the situation was started to give her a headache, and she already had bounty hunters after her. It's one thing after another. "Please look into this further. In the meanwhile, please continue to escort them to their destination safely. Make sure that you aren't spotted."

The commander noticed how exhausted she looked, and told her to rest, and to let him and is men take care of things.

"Fine. Please report back if you find anything else."

He saluted, and the screen vanished.

She tossed her legs over one arm of the chair, and rested her head against the other. This had taken it's toll on her nerves. The Maelstrom's soul turned off the lights, and requested to the rest of the crew that the captain was not to be disrupted.

The whole ship was silent, as the crew kept the noise level to a minimum.

But even as Eumeleia fell asleep, the cold expressionless face of the mechanized queen haunting her restless dreams once more.

* * *

><p>End of Chapter 3.<p>

Secrets have been revealed, and if you can guess who the commander is, then I'll give you pie.

Now if you excuse me *rubs hands* Dinner calls.


End file.
